Battles for good planning are lost only once but must be won over and over and over again to continue prevailing. Once again, we are struggling against a small-minded view that would attempt to contain the full flow of the Don River in storm as it courses through a waterfront newly coated with densely packed buildings including a possible big box development.
What former GPC candidate Sharon Howarth led the fight for was the broad and compelling vision of a Don Mouth re-born into something like what nature intended for it – a broad wetland floodplain with a meandering river, filled with songbirds and tall grasses and boardwalks for people to enjoy. Her vision prevailed in the public mind and thousands of citizens demanded it. This led to an inspired visioning process that created an award-winning and internationally recognized design. Since that time, the elements of that design are constantly being chipped away in the name of economy and profit.
Write to your Councillor now (all comments must be in before April 15 so do it today before you forget) and demand that the City recommit to more green space and more renaturalization. Demand more wetlands to economically clean the air and water, and to help absorb and manage the floods that climate change is likely to inflict on the city. Read more »